Therapeutic unit



Oct. 24, 1950 H. R. swANsoN THERAPEUTIC UNIT 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 14. 1948 IN VEN TOR.

W @m M Oct. 24, 1950 H. R. swANsoN 2,527,039

` THERAPEUTIC UNIT Filed June 14, 1948v 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Q" nl IL INVENTOR.

HUGO R.' SWANSON BY @GALVLQQAL oct. 24, 195o H. R. SWANSON l 2,527,039

mmm um* Filed Jun. 14. m48 e sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR.

HUGO R. SWANS ON Oct. 24, 1950 H. R. `swmscm THERAPEUTIC UNIT 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 14. 1948 INVENTOR.

N O S m W S R. O G U H Oct. 24, 1950 H. R. swANsoN .2,527,039

THERAPEU'NIIC UNIT Filed June 14, 1948 6 Sheets-#Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

HUGO R. SWANSON @MN5 @my Oct. 24, 1950 H. R. swANsoN MRAPEUTIC UNH 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 14, 1948 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 24, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE t THERAPEUTIC UNIT Hugo R. Swanson, Binghamton, N. Y.

Application June 14, 1948, Serial No. 32,843

Y 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in heat treating and massaging cabinets adapted to ciciently effect all of the treatments and manipulations common to such devices.

The general object of this invention is to provide in a complete unit a mechanism of this type by means of which the body of a person may be subjected to heated vapors having, or not having, as required therapeutic values and circulated in a manner to insure the comfort of the person while attaining the desired treatment thereof,

Another object of the invention is to provide in combination in such a unit all of the usual appurtenances by means of which a person may be completely treated, including a power supply for massaging implement, hot and cold water sprays, and the like.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a combination of instrumentalities of this type particularly adapted to the efficient and proper treatment of a patient.

The actual details of the mechanism comprising this invention will best be understood by the following detailed description of the embodiment thereof illustrated in the attached drawings.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevational viewvof the unit of this invention showing some parts broken away to better illustrate details thereof;

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure 1, showing the cabinet doors open to show the interior construction With some of the exterior mechanism omitted;

Figure 3 is a righthand elevational View of the unit;

Figure 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic and top plan view of the interior of the cabinet;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view with some parts broken away of the platform or table on which the person being treated lies within the cabinet;

Figure 6 is a lefthand elevational view of the unit with some of the bottom structure broken away;

Figure 7 is an enlarged side elevational view of the lefthand end of the cabinet from the front showing the details of construction of the vertically slidable door at that end;

Figure 8 is a horizontal cross-sectional view at an edge of the door showing how it is slidabiy mounted, taken on the line 8 8 of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8 Figure 10 is a detailed view showing some parts in cross section illustrating the mounting oi` the platform tray and the construction of the bottom of the cabinet;

Figure 1l is an elevational view of the air and vapor exhaust container and trap;

Figure l2 is a top plan view thereof;

Figure 13 is an elevational view of the container for the liquids to be vaporized and admixed with air for introduction into the cabinet:

Figure 14 is a top plan view thereof;

Figure 15 is a top plan view of the heater unit for the cabinet; and

Figure 16 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line lG--l of Figure 1.

The complete unit is mounted upon a framework of any suitable construction, not shown, having the four legs or standards I at the four corners thereof. Longitudinal trim and bracing strips 2 extend between the front and back legs in pairs and the transverse trim and bracing strips 3 extend between the front and back legs in pairs (see Fig. 3). As will be seen from Figures 3 and 6, the cabinet comprises the righthand wall and the lefthand wall 4. The bottom wall 5 of the cabinet comprises a pair of flatly inclined converging wall sections united by a narrow horizontal section, possibly best seen in Figure 10. -As shown in Figure 6, the cabinet is provided with a back. wall 6, which is preferably lined with a layer of suitable insulating material 1. The front wall of the cabinet consists of a door IU mounted by means of a hinge Il upon a front wall strip 20 which may consist of a separate strip secured in place or consist of a flanged extension of the bottom wall 5 (see Fig. 10). The front side edges Vof the cabinet are formed by a pair of strips 8 which are provided with flanged lips 8' (see Figs. 1 and 16) which form rectangular seats in which the side edges of the door l 0 lie when it is closed, so as to form a flush surface. The top of the cabinet is closed by means of a door 9 hinged at I 9 (see Fig. 6) and having a recess along its free edge (see Fig. 15) formed by the flange 9 to match up with the flanged recess formed by the flange 8' so that the top edge of the side door I0 may lie flush with the end edge of the top door 9. The doors 9 and lil are preferably convex both longitudinally and transversely, as illustrated in the drawings to give a pleasing appearance to the cabinet.

As shown in Figure 1, the front door I0 is provided with a handle I0 for manipulating it and a series of catches i2 of any suitable form for locking the doors 9 and I0 closed. The top door 9 is provided with a handle Ill for manipulating it and has mounted thereon, as shown a thermometer I3 for indicating the temperature within the cabinet. Both doors 9 and IG are held in closed position by means of spring structures clearly shown in Figures 3 and l respectively. The spring structure for the top door 9 comprises a tube l5 pivotally mounted on the top of the cabinet at one end in which a spring I6 is anchored at one end and connected by a cable to an anchor i8 at the back of the cabinet at the top. Similarly (see Fig. 4) the front door ID is connected by means of a cable 5e to a spring 8d anchored at its other end within a tube 8C. The tubes i5 and 8c are preferably pivotally mounted at their far ends to permit light swinging movement as the doors are opened and closed. These spring structures insure that a tight vapor seal is formed when the doors are in closed position. This seal is further insured by means of the lat/ching devices i2 (see Fig. 1) which may be of a type to draw the adjacent door edges tightly together so as to cause the door lil to seat on the flanges t and 9.

Referring to Figures 6 to 9 inclusive, it will be seen that the end wall ii) is provided with a large rectangular opening in the sides of which are mounted a pair of guide members 2| triangular shaped in elevation and L-shaped cross-section (see Fig. 8) Secured to the inner inclined flanged edge of the members 2| is an L-shaped strip 2l to provide guiding grooves for the side edges of a door 22 preferably made of transparent material. The lower edge of the door 22 is cut out in substantially semicircular form as appears in Figure 6, so that the door may be closed around the neck of the person being treated, as shown in Figure l, to form a vapor seal. The complete peripheral edge of the door is enclosed within a reinforcing trim strip 22 of any suitable material, as clearly indicated. A bar 22 is mounted on the outer face of the door on which a towel may be hung so that it can be draped about the persons neck. The frame 22 includes a relatively wider section at the top, as shown at 22D (see Fig. 9) which is provided with an opening in which a door 23 may slide horizontally.

Thus it will be seen that a vaportight cabinet is formed when the doors are all closed and the person is in proper position. As indicated at 1 in Figure 6, if desired the top wall, including the door 9 and the front wall including the door I5 can be lined with a layer of heat insulating material.

As is clear from Figure 10, the interior of the cabinet near the tapered bottom wall 5 is provided with a frame or supporting members 3| on which a tray or plate form 3U mounted with suitable bracing struts 32 may be mounted in a plane at about the level of the hinge As shown in Figures 4 and 5 the bottom wall 30b of the body support tray 36 inclines from the left to the righthand end and is provided at its lower end with a series of moisture drain holes 33. The bottom wall is also provided with a series of larger air passage apertures a, and the narrow side walls of the platform may be provided with a series of air or Ventilating apertures 30d. A mattress M (see Fig. 5) of suitable material may rest on the bottom wall 30h and is provided with apertures to register with the apertures 3|!a to admit air and vapor circulation. A moisture drain connection including a trap is shown at 33 extending from the low point of the bottom wall 5 to a point exterior of the wall 34 so that a connection to waste may be made when the machine is installed.

The wall 34 is part of a compartment (see Fig. 1) below the cabinet, which is provided with doors at the front and back, of which the front doors 35 and 36 are shown. These doors are locked in closed position by means of suitable catches 31 and 38. A compartment thus formed provides a storage place for the various auxililaries and accessories used with such machines and mounted in any suitable manner as by means of hinges, not shown.

In the compartment closed by the door 36 is an electric motor 38 which is connected by means of a speed reduction gear 39 to an output shaft 46 to which a flexible shaft 43 may be attached. This iexible shaft issues from the compartment through a slot 4| (see Fig. 3) and enters the cabinet through an aperture 42. It is supported by means of a spring 45 depending from a sleeve 45 slidably mounted on a shaft 47 extending lengthwise of the cabinet at the top. When not in use the iexible shaft rests on the brackets 44 on the back wall 6 of the cabinet. Various implements may be connected to this flexible shaft for muscle and flesh manipulation, as is well known in the art, and as represented for example by means of the massaging implement disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 23,848, filed April 8, 1948.

Also in the same compartment is another electric motor 48 which is connected to a blower 49, the discharge port of which is connected by a pipe 50 (see Fig. 3) to a conduit 5| which opens into the bottom of a cabinet 45 having tht hinged door 46 by means of which it can be closed. The inlet port of the blower is connected by a conduit 55 and a branch 53 to the interior of the cabinet below the body supporting platform (see Fig. l). The conduit 5| is provided with a branch 54 which extends to a moisture and vapor receptacle 56 (see Figs. 11 and 12) which is closed at the top by means of a funnel-shaped member 5l having an opening to the atmosphere. The conduit 54 connects trangentially with the container 56 and includes a ap valve 55 actuated by suitable levers and a link 58. As shown in Figure 3, the link 58 extends to the top of the cabinet and is provided with an operating crank 59.

The bottom wall 6|]EL of the cabinet 45 (see Fig. 3) comprises an open framework (see Fig. 15) having a series of vertically extending holes 5U therein. The discharge end of duct 5| is attached to the bottom wall so that the air and vapors are discharged into the compartment 45 through the aperture 60 and the opening formed by the framework 6113. Supported in the framework is an electrical heating unit 6| positioned below a rack or receptacle 60 adapted to receive a container 52. As shown in Figure 13, this container 62 is partially closed at the upper end by means of the funnel-shaped wall 63, is provided with a liquid level gauge 64, and a discharge duct 65 arranged to project into an opening 290 1n the end wall |80 (see particularly Fig. 3). This container is adapted to hold say water, various therapeutic agents commonly used in this art, or a mixture thereof.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the opening 206 is provided with a duct 65' into which the discharge end of the conduit 65 projects. The conduit 65 can be closed by a hingedly mounted door 66 which is connected by means of a cable or chain 68 t0 a lever 61 pivotally mounted intermediate its ends and arranged to be engaged by the top door 6 when it is closed so as to open the damper 66 and to permit the damper 66 to fully close when the top door 9 is open, as illustrated by Figures 1 and 2. Thus the opening 266 and the end of the conduit 65 can be closed when desired, cutting off the flow of heated air around the container 62 as well as from that container, through the opening 208 into the main cabinet.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, hot and cold water pipe connections 69 and 1U are provided which extend to a mixing valve 1l from which a line 12, including the hand valve 13 extends to the interior of the cabinet (see Figs. 2 and 3). The pipe extends about halfway into the cabinet and is xedly mounted therein. It is attached by means of a flexible hose 14 with adjustable spray head 15 depending from a slide 16 which is slidably mounted on a rod 11 extending longitudinally of the cabinet. By this arrangement it is possible to spray or shower a person lying in the cabinet with water at any desired temperature. The spray head 15 may be slid back and forth, as indicated in Figure 2, to cover the entire length of the persons body. Pipe 69 is provided with a branch 14 with hand valve 15 so that fresh water may be added to container 62, see Fig. 3.

Mounted on the end wall |80 is a control cabinet '18 provided with control switches 19, 80 and 8l and the related signal lamps 82, 83 and 84. By way of example, switch 19 may 4control the electric heater 5I, and when that heater is energized the lamp 82 will be illuminated. Switch 83 controls the motor 38 (see Fig. 1) which operates the flexible shaft, and when it is energized lamp 83 will be illuminated. Switch 8l controls the blower motor 48, and when it is energized lamp 84 will be illuminated. The compartment E88 below the control box 18 is simply a connection box to which the various switch leads are taken for proper interconnection.

At 85 is a thermostatic device from which the conductor cable 88 extends to the connection box |06 for controlling the operation of the circulating motor 68. Within the cabinet, as shown in Figure 2, is the thermostat bulb 81 which is connected by means of a capillary tube 86 to the thermostat control as shown in Figure 3. Thermostatic control devices of this type are well known in the art in many forms and the details thereof need not therefore be further illustrated.

Although the operation of the above structure has been indicated by the aboVe description, a little further explanation may be helpful. A person to be treated lies on the mattress M on the removable tray or platform 30 with his head projecting through the opening 4 so as to lie on the headrest 2d. The door 22 is slid down around his neck and a towel supported from the bar 22' (see Fig. 6) is draped over his neck. The doors 9 and l il are closed so that the cabinet is then substantially sealed except for the Ventilating window 23 which can be variously positioned to provide ventilation as required within the cabinet. The switch 19 is operated to energize the heater 6l, it being assumed that container 62 with a suitable liquid in it is mounted in the rack 68. Door 46 for cabinet 45 is closed. Switch 8| is operated to energize the motor 48 which drives the blower e9. Crank 59 is operated to close the flap valve 55 so that air is circulated from the cabinet into duct 52, branch 53, blower 49, conduit 50, pipe 5I through the housing 45 and into the main cabinet through the duct 65. The damper 66 will be open since, as previously explained, when door 9 is closed it is raised. It will be understood that the valve 55 is in the conduit 54, at a point beyond the branch connection 5l, so that when valve 55 is closed branch 54, which connects to the container 56, will be closed off. The air in passing upwardly through the compartment 45 and to the duct 65 will pick up vapors from the fluid in container 62, which is heated by the electrical heater 6l. These vapors are withdrawn from the container 62 through the opening at the apex of the funnel-shaped top 63 and the end of conduit 65 to mix with heated air passing upwardly through cabinet 45 around the container 62. This mixture passes through opening 286 into the cabinet. With theapparatus operating under these conditions it will be seen that the atmosphere of the main cabinet is circulated and re-circulated passing once on each round trip through the space formed by the housing 45 so as to be reheated by the heater 6l and so as to pick up additional vapors from the heated container 62. Additional water can be added to the container 62 from the connection 53 through the branch l when the valve 15 is opened.

Any condensate in the main cabinet and any perspiration given on by the person being treated can drain onto the bottom wall 5 of the main cabinet and pass out through the trapped connection 33. As previously mentioned, the vapors may circulate downwardly around the platform 30, as well as through the large opertures 30a. If the atmosphere within the main cabinet becomes too high in temperature notwithstanding the adjustment of the Ventilating door 23, the thermostatic device will be actuated to shut oilc the circulating motor 48.

At the end of this phase of the treatment flapper valve 55 will be operated through crank 59 and link 58 to bypass the atmosphere being circulated by the blower 49 into branch 54 and from there into the container 56. These gases and vapors are discharged into the container 56 tangentially so that any moisture content is soparated from the vapors by centrifugal force and collected in the container while the gaseous constituents escape through the funnel 51.

Doors 9 and I may then be opened and the patient may be sprayed or showered by means of the spray head 15. As previously explained, the temperature of the spray water can be ccntrolled by the mixing valve 1|. The water, of course, can drain out through the trapped connection 33 to waste. If the patient is to be massaged motor 38 will be energized setting the ilexible shaft 43 in operation. Any suitable massage instrument may be detachably mounted on the flexible shaft and the operator may then massage the muscles of the patient as required.

From the above description it will be seen that with this single unit all of the various treatments and manipulations used in this art may be speedily and eiiiciently carried out under most comfortable conditions for the patient.

It will be apparent from the above description of the single embodiment herein disclosed that many of the details thereof are subjected to variation without departure from the novel combinations of this invention, and I do not therefore desire to be strictly limited to the details of the illustrative example herein disclosed, but only as required by the claims granted me.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for the therapeutical treatment of a person in a prone position including a cabinet, having at least one access door forming an enclosure, a conduit connecting with said enclosure at the bottom and top of said cabinet, blower means connected in said conduit for causing positive circulation of air from said enclosure at the bottom and into said enclosure at the top, heated vapor generating means disposed in said conduit so that the air ow therein picks up said vapors and carries them into said enclosure, a. receptacle, a branch connection from said conduit between said blower means and said generating means to said receptacle, a valve in said branch connection, and a central apertured conical cover for said receptacle extending thereinto.

2. In the combination of claim 1, said last means including a damper for controlling the induction end of said conduit, and lever means actuated by the movement of said access door, to

cause the damper to close when said door is 15 opened.

3. In the combination of claim 1, said heated vapor generating means consisting of heating means within said conduit, a uid container in said conduit in heat exchange relation with said heating means, and a connection arranged to cause the withdrawal of vapors generated in Said container into the air stream by its flow in said conduit.

` 4. In the combination of claim 1, a flexible shaft mounted in said cabinet, driving means for said flexible shaft mounted below said cabinet and connected to it, and means within said cabinet for resiliently supporting the end of said flexible shaft to permit manipulation thereof within the cabinet.

HUGO R. SWANSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 735,851 Abell Aug. 11, 1903 1,143,822 Giedinghagen June 22, 1915 2,098,295 Kettering Nov. 9, 1937 2,098,316 Sittler Nov. 9, 193'? 2,012,221 Clark et al. Aug. 20, 1935 2,203,263 Honsaker June 4, 1940 2,223,669 Forshee Dec. 3, 1940 

